abstract: 'Economic empowerment brings with it a wide range of consequences, both

  positive and negative. The objective of this paper was to examine the

  relationship between economic empowerment and the sexual behaviour and

  practices of migrant workers within the context of HIV and AIDS in the

  Lesotho textile industry. Data for this paper were extracted from the

  findings of a larger study which had been conducted concerning HIV and

  AIDS in the textile industry in Lesotho. Using in-depth interviews, data

  were collected from 40 participants who were purposively selected from

  five factories which had been chosen randomly. Empowerment theory was

  used as a lens to provide meanings for the experiences of the

  participants. The findings show that the participants were empowered

  only in certain respects in terms of Kabeer''s empowerment model of

  `power to'' and `power within'', on one hand, and in terms of Malhotra''s

  comprehensive empowerment framework at the household level, on the

  other, as being employed in the industry enabled them to participate in

  the economy. Employment in the sector provided the participants with the

  means to be able to acquire basic needs and the ability to participate

  in household decision-making: for the female participants, the ability

  to make independent sexual decisions was also enhanced. These

  improvements were greeted enthusiastically, particularly by the female

  participants, given their previously disadvantaged status as a result of

  coming from rural patriarchal villages with gender-defined hegemonic

  notions of respectability. The findings also indicate that environmental

  factors and others, such as meagre salaries, encouraged some of the

  female workers to engage in transactional sex, while some of the male

  participants tended to increase their sexual relationships as a result

  of acquiring employment and income from the industry. It is the

  contention of the authors of this study that true empowerment requires

  both vital resources and individual and collective participation,

  particularly for the women, who are more vulnerable than men. Finally,

  we conclude that the opportunities provided by economic empowerment have

  given the participants a new social meaning for their situation and an

  awareness about their place in power relations.'
affiliation: 'Tanga, PT (Corresponding Author), Univ Ft Hare, Dept Social Work Social
  Dev, PB X1314, ZA-5700 Alice, South Africa.

  Tanga, Pius Tangwe, Univ Ft Hare, Dept Social Work Social Dev, ZA-5700 Alice, South
  Africa.

  Tangwe, Magdaline Nji, Univ Ft Hare, Fac Educ, ZA-5700 Alice, South Africa.'
author: Tanga, Pius Tangwe and Tangwe, Magdaline Nji
author-email: tanga8\_2000@yahoo.co.uk
author_list:
- family: Tanga
  given: Pius Tangwe
- family: Tangwe
  given: Magdaline Nji
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1080/17290376.2014.976250
eissn: 1813-4424
files: []
issn: 1729-0376
journal: SAHARA J-JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ASPECTS OF HIV-AIDS
keywords: 'economic empowerment; migrant workers; sexual behaviour and practices;

  HIV and AIDS; options and choices'
keywords-plus: LABOR MIGRATION; RISK; TRANSMISSION
language: English
number: '1'
number-of-cited-references: '57'
pages: 187-201
papis_id: 4815fcf475df90c1defd646ae6a15e58
ref: Tanga2014interplayeconomic
times-cited: '4'
title: Interplay between economic empowerment and sexual behaviour and practices of
  migrant workers within the context of HIV and AIDS in the Lesotho textile industry
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000346283000021
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '9'
volume: '11'
web-of-science-categories: Health Policy \& Services; Public, Environmental \& Occupational
  Health
year: '2014'